Six weeks before his birthday, Giuseppe Paternò achieved the dream of a lifetime: He got a university degree.
Mr. Paternò's graduation has inspired news coverage around the world, partly because of his age. But he has mainly drawn attention because his life story speaks of commitment, a theme that has encouraged as millions of schoolchildren in Italy and elsewhere faces extraordinary uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic.
Born in Palermo in 1923, the first of seven children in a “very poor family,” Mr. Paternò began working soon after finishing elementary school. “The family was large, there was only one paycheck, we were under fascism, and times were tough,” he said.
Eventually, he ended up at a publishing house where an enlightened boss persuaded his father to send him back to school for a three-year vocational degree. Mr. Paternò then worked for an insurance agency while he took private classes to become a telegraph operator. He used skills from the operator job when he was drafted into the navy in World War II. The job also opened doors to the State Railways Company, where he worked for more than four decades.
It was only after he retired, in the mid-1980s, that he returned to his books, taking theology courses through the Archdiocese of Palermo after a chance meeting with a philosophy professor who urged him to follow his love.
Mr. Paterno's son, Ninni Paternò, said that the family had not expected all the attention. “It's unbelievable!” the vounger Paternò said of his father. “He achieved his goal, but he didn't mean to be famous in newspapers around the world.”
University officials are hoping that Mr. Paternò will continue his studies on waster's course. But he isn't so sure. “I have to admit that in this moment, I don't know whether I would do it with the same spirit,” he said on Wednesday. Still, Mr. Paternò said he would probably continue anyway.
4. What's the main reason for the world to report Mr. Paternò's graduation?
A.His experience shows the spirit of commitment. |
B.Mr. Paternò achieved his dream at an old age. |
C.His graduation ceremony was during the coronavirus pandemic. |
D.His achievement is extraordinary. |
5. What does the underline word “this job” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A.Working for an insurance company. |
B.Severing in the navy in World War II. |
C.A telegraph operator. |
D.The job in the State Railway Company. |
6. What can we learn about Mr. Paternò's son's words?
A.The family had not agreed Mr. Paternò's decision. |
B.Mr. Paternò didn't want to gain the world's attention. |
C.Mr. Paternò suffered a lot to achieve his goal. |
D.Mr. Paternò's achievement is not worth mentioning. |
7. What can we learn from the passage?
A.It's never too late to achieve a dream. | B.No pains, no gains. |
C.Young at heart. | D.Practice makes perfect. |